When the Sun Was Fading That Year

Lin Yun lazily stretched her body, which had been tense ever since before she boarded, then settled comfortably against the seatback. Outside the window, the scenery changed at a steady pace, like a slow-motion film.

Will I meet you again? And if we do, what will it be like?

Her gaze drifted slowly around the somewhat empty carriage. There was no crowd of people around her as she'd imagined. A few passengers sat scattered among the seats, some chatting and laughing, others looking at their phones.

Life is nothing more than a dazzling encounter and an inevitable parting. She was always wondering: if they had never met, or if she hadn't casually let go of the hand she once held so tightly, would the story have ended better than it did?

If that dazzling encounter was destined to happen, could they have avoided fleeing in a way that left them both broken, and saved what remained of their shattered, defeated world?